Auston Matthews injury update: Toronto Maple Leafs captain beats eye scare to score clinching third-period goal in Game 6 against Florida Panthers
Toronto Maple Leafs
' Auston Matthews turned a harrowing second-period eye injury into a career-defining playoff moment on Friday, coming back to score the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Second Round. Hit under his visor by Aleksander Barkov's stick with the series — and the Toronto Maple Leafs' season — on the line, Auston Matthews suffered from an eye injury momentarily and was hurried to the dressing room by medical personnel before returning.
Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner join forces for clutch goal against Florida Panthers
PAUL MAURICE: Toronto Maple Leafs Force Game 7, Beat Florida Panthers in Sunrise
Auston Matthews required only one precise pass from Mitch Marner to turn a scoreless standoff. Gathering up Mitch Marner's stick off the Florida Panthers' blue line, the
Toronto Maple Leafs captain
moved to the left face-off dot and let fly his signature snap shot through the pads of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. The goal, Auston Matthews' first score against Florida in 11 playoff games, sent a season's worth of tension flying after he had just two goals in Toronto's last 11 playoff games.
Earlier, panic spread through the bench when Aleksander Barkov's back-swing slid behind Auston Matthews' shield. Trainers led him away as he winced in fright, but a quick check brought good news: no structural damage, vision restored within minutes.
'I just caught it in the eye,' he said. 'So, it was a little scary there. I had trouble seeing, so they wanted to check it out in the room and let it calm down. I was kind of able to get whatever kind of decent vision back and finally go out there. But they definitely wanted to make sure it was checked out and make sure it was all good.'
Joseph Woll bore the defensive heroics, holding off all 22 shots for his first postseason shutout and calming a team that has lost six consecutive Game 7s since 2013. Grizzled winger Max Pacioretty provided insurance on a late rush, scoring his eighth goal in 16 career game-sealing contests, while rookie Matthew Knies fought through a lower-body knock after an early Aaron Ekblad hit.
Historic burden and fresh leadership
Toronto's 0-6 losing streak in pivotal Game 7s hangs over them, but bench coach Craig Berube has credentials: He led the St. Louis Blues over the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final's dramatic seventh game. Berube waved aside reminders of previous disappointment — 'They're fun,' he said with a smile — maintaining that his Leafs are authoring their own narrative.
Also read:
Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are facing an uncertain future as the Toronto Maple Leafs stumble
From fuzzy vision to crystal-clear redemption, Auston Matthews took back center stage at the very moment Toronto most needed him. If star sniper and linemate Mitch Marner match the resolve they showed Friday, and Joseph Woll continues to play it cool, the Maple Leafs can take that elusive first step to flipping their Game 7 script and extending the Stanley Cup dream.
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